This coal-fired power plant belched pollutants over the town of Cercs, in northeast Spain, for more than 40 years. The acid rain it caused killed off thousands of acres of forest. And the C02 it released contributed to global warming, scientists say. Spain closed the plant in 2010. It was a victory for the environment, but a blow to the town. Some 300 people - nearly a quarter of the town's population - lost their jobs.

Coal use is at 40-year lows here in the US but it's another story in Europe, where it's on the rise.